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I possess a few thoughts about that remarks delivered by the sports network commentator Chris Fowler following Novak Djokovic's victory over Taylor Fritz during the US Open quarter-finals. Consider – the athlete represents the United States, Fowler is from the US – and athletic competitions often encourage nationalism. A little bit of disappointment would have been appropriate. Rather, Fowler brought up the continued drought of American men at grand slam tournaments: not one of them had lifted a title since the last American champion in 2003, and he had been the last one standing in the tournament.

Everyone love a storyline, me too. But come on. Suppose the American had beaten the legend for the initial occasion, phenomenal talent the Spanish star was looming in the following match, who Fritz has yet to beat in an official match. And if he’d someway survived that, it would have been defending champion Jannik Sinner, against whom Fritz had dropped 10 of the last 11 sets. Alcaraz and Sinner had also divided the last seven major titles (and Alcaraz went on to thrash a fatigued Serbian in the subsequent match). Fritz said in press following his defeat that he actually preferred his path, because it offered the chance to defeat the three best competitors in the world back-to-back. He is more than within his right to aim for the accomplishment; an athlete is supposed to believe in themselves. But going into that Djokovic quarter-final what other person in their right mind had the lack of American champions in mind?

Coco Gauff’s second serve the only thing standing in her way and consistent victories

The American, 28, is placed number four in the global rankings starting the upcoming year-end championships and has secured his previous six encounters over No 3 the German with increasing ease. It's likely he could take that spot for himself in the future. But evidently that at present, that is as far as he can rise: The Italian and Spaniard sit a vast gap of ranking points away. His elite serve and powerful power on each forehand and reverse side are sufficiently adequate to dispose of the majority of rivals on the professional circuit. When facing the select few once-in-a-lifetime players, however, Fritz is frequently overmatched. The last several years has witnessed the curious emergence of tall, gangly athletes who can nevertheless cover the court with the surprising quickness and grace of smaller players. He is six-foot-five and looks it. His movement is stiff, as if he’s still getting used to his limbs. So he seldom steal a point that the opponent was dictating, and hitting a soft shot against him is typically a reliable tactic. That acts as a pretty severe restriction on his upside.

Fritz has made a several significant, improbable improvements throughout his career. Early on of the decade, he was circling the bottom of the top 30. 24 months after, he was approaching the top 10. The previous season, he unexpectedly exploded up to fourth place – and held the position. But the subsequent step, competing against and defeating all-time-greats like the young Spaniard, the Italian, and even a declining Djokovic, is the toughest of all. What could Fowler thinking? That the American, in 2025, was a serious threat to defeat them all back-to-back? That it was worth mentioning the continuing slump of US male players lifting major titles when Fritz had exited the New York major in the quarter-finals? The thirst is just too much and the appreciation for the magnitude of the challenge insufficient.

The American star made a personal best run to the All England Club last four in July.

The American's performance in that very quarter-final should have been sufficient of an indication. The Serbian won in four rounds, a victory that only felt uncertain for moments towards the conclusion, when Fritz had saved a few championship opportunities and had a opportunity to maintain serve for 5-5. The pair looked evenly matched during the exchanges, with Fritz earning numerous opportunities to win the opponent's serve. But the champion saved break point after service break opportunity, extending the run to the brink of agony. When Fritz finally did convert one of the opportunities at 5-5 in the middle stanza, he immediately produced a horrendous service game to lose his own serve again; the Serbian had drawn him into a battle peripheral to the main contest and forced him to expend excessive energy to prevail. Down match points in the final game, Fritz’s primary delivery floated to the sky. He extended the contest two times on his backup delivery, but ultimately double-faulted. It wasn’t a collapse, in my opinion, only a result of having to hit too many second serves.

The contest was fairly ironclad evidence that the American is not good enough to defeat any form of Djokovic, who was defeated by the Spaniard in the next round and did not particularly seem like he believed he could triumph. This is absolutely fine – the Serbian is the greatest of all time, and might not be at the peak of his physical powers anymore, but has developed sufficient experience and tactical know-how to make up for quite a bit of the drop-off. The problem is the individuals who were expecting Fritz to prevail, and putting pressure on him to do so, when he was yet to done anything that suggested he would.

Fritz is an asset to the circuit regardless. He’s a calm, reflective presence in media sessions, more so than virtually everyone on the ATP aside from the Russian star, prepared to not just express his emotions or the tactic he believed determined a contest, but clarify it. That he ought to bear the brunt of the blame for America not produce a men's grand slam winner since Andy Roddick feels unfair. (Now that Ben Shelton is competing alongside him in the rankings, maybe they can share that burden.)

ATP Finals: Player Divisions

American legend Division

• The Spanish phenom
• Taylor Fritz (US)
• Alex de Minaur (Aus)
• Lorenzo Musetti (It)

Bjorn Borg Division

• Jannik Sinner (It)
• Alexander Zverev (Ger)
• Ben Shelton (US)
• The Canadian talent

“I’d probably dwell on it indefinitely if I fail to do it,” Fritz told an interviewer in June of winning a major. I hope he realizes that he’s not unsuccessful if he doesn’t fulfill that goal, that breaking through Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominant, formidable empire is in fact extremely unlikely for all other players. {